I'm guessing a potholder vest would be one decorated/created with the same crochet (or knitting?) used by some grannies to make afghan blankets in the 70s/80s. In fact, when I went through my old toys out in the garage last summer, I found the Bert, Ernie & Oscar The Grouch that my great-grandma had crocheted for me from these 1979 patterns:http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street_crochet_doll_kits